Economist Podcasts Toil and rubble: a report from Turkey
Feb 13, 2023
Piotr Zalewski, The Economist's Turkey correspondent, shares heart-wrenching insights from the earthquake's aftermath in Turkey, focusing on the failure of building regulations and the public outcry for accountability. Joshua Roberts, city and finance correspondent, dives into Britain's productivity crisis, linking it to management failures and suggesting that better management could significantly boost company performance. The conversation also touches on a national survey exploring sexual health data, revealing changing attitudes and behaviors.
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Scenes of Devastation
- Piotr Zalewski witnessed widespread devastation in Turkish cities, with collapsed buildings and fires left unattended.
- He described bodies lining the streets, alongside survivors waiting for aid, and the pervasive silence punctuated by the cries of potential survivors.
Inadequate Response
- The Turkish government's response to the earthquake has been deemed inadequate due to a lack of manpower and resources.
- While the government claims all affected areas have been reached, locals dispute this, highlighting delays in aid arrival.
Construction Deficiencies
- Despite new building codes after the 1999 earthquake, over half of Turkey's housing stock still doesn't meet standards.
- Widespread corruption, cheap construction, and building amnesties have exacerbated the issue, leading to increased devastation.